Azula laid on her bed, flipping through her journal. She was trying to figure out a plan going forward. Her birthday "celebration" luckily wasn't something she had to relax too much from. A servant was running a bath for her. Azula couldn't wait to enjoy it.

There was a knock on her door. Without thinking, she called "come in!" The door opened slowly. Azula rubbed her eyes to make sure it was real.

"Mom?" She asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.

"Hello, darling," Ursa smiled gently. "Did you have a nice birthday?"

Azula nodded curtly. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to talk."

"About what?" The teenager snapped.

"Anything. Are you alright?" Ursa's brow wrinkled in concern.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Azula's annoyance was growing. How dare this woman talk to her like this? Like... like she actually cared!

"Honey, did I do something to upset you?"

"Don't 'honey' me! You know what you did!"

"No, actually, I don't. Care to enlighten me?" Ursa took a seat next to her daughter.

"Don't you have to go help Zuzu or something?"

"No. What does Zuko have to with this?" Ursa was tempted to reprimand her for the use of the nickname Zuko wasn't fond of her using. She decided that it was best to refrain from that.

"Oh, really? You don't have to do anything for him? Tuck him into bed and kiss him goodnight? Tell him how proud of him you are? Fire Lord Zuko, the pride and joy of the Fire Nation, and your perfect little boy."

"Azula, where is this coming from?"

Azula looked away. She couldn't just talk like this. It was pathetic. But she wanted to. She wanted to just yell and scream and let her mother know how much she'd hurt her. She was just so angry. She hardly knew what to do with herself. Ursa rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder, but the girl yanked her shoulder out of her grasp.

"Darling, please tell me what's wrong. Why won't you talk to me? I'm not going to hurt you." Ursa was suddenly reminded of her ex's harsh emotional abuse. "And I won't use it against you."

"Stop acting like you care."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? You've never cared until now! What started this sudden interest? Because you certainly didn't have it when I was a child! If you had, my life would be a very different than this.

"I mean it! Tell me why you're suddenly trying to give me attention. Because the way I remember it, I spent the majority of my childhood trying to get that from you with success only when you were p*ssed at me."

Guilt stabbed Ursa in the chest like a knife. "I'm sorry that I ever made you feel that way. I didn't mean to."

Azula tensed. She'd gone too far. She couldn't keep talking. Her brain was screaming that she needed to shut up, but her mouth kept moving.

"Doesn't change that you did. He hurt me too, only that was all behind closed doors! You didn't even notice! And then you just left that night without even saying goodbye." Her voice cracked. Tears threaten to pour, and she was furious. Her heart hurt, and there was so much she had to say, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. It would be a sign of weakness.

She was angry; not just at her mother, but at herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. For just spilling out how her mother made her feel. If her father was here, she'd get the punishment of a lifetime for letting herself be so weak.

"Azula." Ursa took a deep breath, trying to keep herself together. "I'm going to be completely honest. No, I didn't notice. And I failed you so badly as your mother because of that. I am so sorry that I never tried harder to understand you. I just.."

"Was scared of me. I could see it in your eyes." If she was having a weak moment, she should at least tell the truth. Her mother said that she wouldn't use it against her? Time to test that. How far could she get before her mother got so riled up she went back on the 'won't hurt you' and proved no one was to be trusted?

"I wasn't scared of you. I was scared of what you were becoming. I stayed away from you because you reminded me of your father, of my abuser."

"That doesn't excuse it. I wasn't Father. I was your DAUGHTER. But who cares? There was something wrong with me, according to you."

"I should've watched my mouth. I wasn't thinking when I said it, so I thought it wouldn't affect you to hear it. I was so very wrong. But I did love you. I love you so much. You just seemed to have no interest in me. I should've made it clearer. I should've told you more.

"But, Azula. You're wrong about something. But it's something you have no way of knowing was wrong and I regret that. I did tell you goodbye. I went to your room that night. You were sleeping so peacefully that I couldn't bear to wake you. You slept so badly as a child. Do you remember that?"

"Of course I do. I never outgrew that. I'm still lucky if I get five hours a night." That was true. But she was getting frustrated. Why... why wasn't Ursa at the end of her rope? Before, she would've slapped Azula for back talking at this point.

"Well, that night, you were out like a light. I was a little unnerved that it was that night of all nights that you were sleeping like a hibernating platypus bear. But I couldn't bring myself to disturb your precious sleep. So, I just stayed by you for a minute, kissed you goodbye, and left. I should have woken you, and I will always regret that I didn't.

"I don't hate you. I never have. And I am so sorry that I played favorites with Zuko. I loved you just as much, and I should have spent more time with you. If I could turn back the clock and fix it all, I would. But I can't. I unintentionally neglected you, and for that, I am sorry. I don't know if I can make it up to you, but I will if I can." She gently squeezed Azula's hand.

"Can you leave? I want to be alone." Azula whispered. She couldn't handle this information. It... it had to be a ruse, right? That was why Mother wasn't getting upset with her! Because she was using the conversation to her advantage! How could she have been so blind?!

"Of course." Ursa got up. She laid a soft kiss on her forehead and wiped away the tears running down the teen's cheeks. Azula hadn't even realized that she was crying. Ursa got up and left the room, casting another look at her daughter before gently shutting the door.

-•-

Even after her long bath, Azula's mind wouldn't leave her conversation with her mother. She kept trying to not cry, but she couldn't help it. Did her mother really mean what she said? Either answer hurt.

If Ursa meant it, then Azula could have had this all along. But Azula hadn't. And it almost hurt worse than thinking her mother didn't care.

She sighed. She set her journal away, and slipped under her sheets. As she started to doze off, something caught her attention. She tensed, her senses going into high alert. A snap of a twig sent her head whipping to the window. She carefully got back out of bed. Fire blossomed out of her palm as her eyes scanned her surroundings.

"Anyone there?" She called.

She turned away from the window. It was only for a second, but it was enough. A hand clamped over her mouth. She raised her own fire-filled hands, but someone else grabbed them, pinning them against her legs so she couldn't bend without burning herself. She easily broke out of their holds and took them down.

She saw a flash out of the corner of her eye. Something hit her in the head, sending her crashing to the ground. She looked up, her vision blurry. The face she saw shocked her.

"Happy birthday, my dear," Ozai smirked. Everything went black.

A/N I know Azula spilling her guts was uncharacteristic, and it originally wasn't going to happen here. I rewrote it a few times, cut some stuff, added in Azula herself not wanting to say anything, but saying it anyway because once she started, she couldn't stop. Since that's something that sometimes happens when I get worked up. Just trying to make it more believable... but it won't completely happen. I hope that at least it's tolerable. It's spent 2 years in the writing process, so it's not getting any better.